


Doubt

by annazonfox



Series: Lust [3]
Category: Xena: Warrior Princess
Genre: F/F, Femslash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-03
Updated: 2010-07-03
Packaged: 2017-10-10 09:09:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/98010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annazonfox/pseuds/annazonfox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another meddling god has interfered in Xena and Gabrielle's life.  Whatever will Xena do to save Gabrielle?  Does Gabrielle need to be saved?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Doubt

Xena had only been trying to help Gabrielle get over her seasickness.  Sure, in hindsight, slathering ointment on her pressure points, sticking her in a barrel, and plopping her into the sea wasn't the best plan Xena had ever had.  But, it had seemed like a good idea at the time. 

Xena was always full of good ideas after a few pints of Artemis Ale at Amazon festivals.  In fact, she was busy working on a new plan right now.

Whistling, she used her knife to cut two large triangles of parchment. 

"Xena, have you seen Queen Gabrielle?" Ephiny asked, arriving at the beachfront out of breath.  "It’s time to light the Midsummerfest bonfire."

Furrowing her brow and continuing to work, Xena shook her head.

"I've been busy, Eph."

"Xena... I saw her leave with you."  Ephiny punctuated her last word with a hiccup, indicating that she had been partaking in the merriment Xena heard in the distance.

"Said she wanted to take a dip.  Maybe you should check the baths." 

Ephiny nodded and ran back toward the festival.

Xena began whistling again, sewing the two pieces of parchment together.  Cocking her head, she examined her handiwork.

"Not bad."

Looking out to the sea, she sighed. 

"I'm coming, Gabrielle," she whispered, before turning and tip-toeing to the Amazon Armory.

Standing guard was the muscular Weapon Master, Eponin.

From the shadows, Xena's fingers grazed her chakram.  Changing her mind, she calculated how many flips it would take to cover the distance between herself and Eponin to put the pinch on her. 

"Xena, I see you," said an annoyed voice.

Hades.

"What are you doing?" Eponin continued.

Xena swallowed and tried to think of what Gabrielle would say in this situation.

"I...I need some bo staffs for the ceremony."

Eponin raised an eyebrow.

"For what part of the ceremony?"

"You know.... that part... where they-" Xena interrupted herself by jumping over and behind the Weapon Master.  She used her hand to cover Eponin's mouth.  "Look, you weren't supposed to ask questions."

"Mmph mmmp go," Eponin said, throwing a backward elbow strike to Xena's chest.

"Ack!" Xena jumped back.

"What's the big idea, Xena?"

"Look. It's Gabrielle."

Eponin looked at Xena warily.

"What did you do?"

"Just, don't tell the others..."

"Fine," Eponin said, rolling her eyes. "Why am I always the only sober one at these things?"

"It's Poseidon.  He's captured Gabrielle."

"Oh, wonderful.  How?  We posted the advisory this morning."

So that's what the green sign on the beach had meant.

"She was... well..... what matters is that Gabrielle is probably sitting in a palace on the ocean floor, about to be made queen of Poseidon's underwater kingdom."

Eponin blinked.

"Ew."

"I know."

"What's your plan?"

"I need some weapons," Xena said.

"Xena…these weapons are property of the Amazon Nation.  Issued and commissioned by-"

"Artemis herself. I know," Xena said. "Did I mention that your Queen is missing?"

Eponin looked at the staff in her hand, caressing the weapon with her eyes.

"Ep, help me out here."

"Right, right.  Of course.  Take what you need."

Xena ran into the Armory and retrieved a bundle of staffs and exited.

"Thanks, Eponin," she said.

As she passed, Eponin grabbed Xena's arm.

"She's not going to choose him, you know.  Even if the gig includes all the fish she can eat."

Xena frowned.

"What? No. I know that."

"Yeah?" Eponin said.

Shaking her head, Xena huffed back to the beach and continued working.  She placed a dozen of the staffs next to each other and tied them together, forming a platform. 

"She's not going to choose him you know,_"_ Xena mocked.

Finished, she poked one staff upright through the platform and tied the parchment to it.  Finished, she stepped away from her creation, nodding.

"There," she said.  "A flying sea parchment."

She dragged it to the water’s edge.

She stepped into the water, pulling her creation behind her.  Carefully stepping on the floating platform, she held the upright staff for balance.  Dipping one foot into the water, she pushed off to gain momentum. 

"Okay Poseidon.  Come and get me."

The wind steadily picked up as Xena got further from the shore.  Getting a feel for the craft, she used her body weight to steer toward the whirlpool swirling in the distance.  As it sucked her into its undertow, Xena braced for impact and closed her eyes.

When she opened her eyes again, she seemed to be on an island.  Surrounding her were pieces of her sea parchment, shattered.  Shaking water out of her ears, she heard a voice, although she could not see where it was coming from.  Xena smiled in recognition.

"And then, Joxer thought Xena was one, because of the blood on her neck, but really it was me because I had let one of them bite me. Now, I know what you're thinking.  You're wondering why I would let them do that but it was all very seducing.  And that was before Xena and I, well, you know.  But luckily, Xena knew what to do-she always knows what to do- and she got a Dryad bone and-"

"XENA!" a deep voice rumbled.

A large, bearded figure with the tail of a fish rose from the sea. 

"Yes Poseidon?" Xena said.

"I believe I have something of yours."

The god reached into the whirlpool from whence he came and pulled out a small blond Amazon. He removed a crown made of corals from her head, formed a spout of water with his mouth, placed Gabrielle on it, and let her slide safely to the island next to Xena. 

 

Striking his trident on the water, the god disappeared in a splash.

"Guess he didn't want to hear the rest of my story," Gabrielle said.

"Guess not," Xena said, smiling.  "I'm glad you're safe."

"Xena," Gabrielle said, putting an arm around Xena. "I knew you would come for me. But, just so you know, I did have an escape plan."

"Yeah.  I know."

 


End file.
